bear67
02-25-2013, 01:37 PM
I have been casting with a pot and ladle since 1960, but I am getting older and the old hands are not as steady as they once were. I spent some of my mad money on a 20 # Lee 220V bottom pour pot. Getting my bifocals, hands, arms, molds and all in cahoots was not always working.
Hince, the mold guide. I just used some scrap steel laying in the "spare parts repository" and built one for the Lee molds first.It is round and can be rotated to line up with the spout. I built a stop by drilling and tapping a hole in the slide plate of the guide and using a square head bolt as a stop. If it does not line up perfectly, you can add a little weld metal and file to fit or file extra off. I push the mold until it hits the stop and it lines up with the sprue plate hole closest to your hand then you can just pull it out to line up with the outside hole. I just remove the stop to use the 6 hole molds. Square rods serve as the side guides.
When this proved to work as I wanted, I built a separate guide for Lyman molds as they are higher. I have stops for 2 and 4 hole molds on the Lyman guide. My bases were solid steel "donuts" but you could use almost any steel for the base (3" channel iron would have worked well), but the round guide rests touching the rods that hold up the pot and you can just rotate until your guide lines up. Sure makes it easier for an old man to cast for a longer period with becoming fatigued.
Hince, the mold guide. I just used some scrap steel laying in the "spare parts repository" and built one for the Lee molds first.It is round and can be rotated to line up with the spout. I built a stop by drilling and tapping a hole in the slide plate of the guide and using a square head bolt as a stop. If it does not line up perfectly, you can add a little weld metal and file to fit or file extra off. I push the mold until it hits the stop and it lines up with the sprue plate hole closest to your hand then you can just pull it out to line up with the outside hole. I just remove the stop to use the 6 hole molds. Square rods serve as the side guides.
When this proved to work as I wanted, I built a separate guide for Lyman molds as they are higher. I have stops for 2 and 4 hole molds on the Lyman guide. My bases were solid steel "donuts" but you could use almost any steel for the base (3" channel iron would have worked well), but the round guide rests touching the rods that hold up the pot and you can just rotate until your guide lines up. Sure makes it easier for an old man to cast for a longer period with becoming fatigued.